Two missing after ATV falls through ice on rescue mission, Wyoming officials say

Two men are missing after their ATV plunged through thin ice into a frigid Wyoming lake while trying to rescue another ATV rider, officials say.

The first ATV rider called 911 at 9:10 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 15, to report his vehicle fell through the ice into Keyhole Reservoir, the Crook County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

He told dispatchers he’d pulled himself from the water onto the ice. Firefighters responded to rescue the man.

At the same time, three local men rode an ATV onto the frozen lake, apparently to assist rescuers, the release said.

But their ATV also fell into open water, the release said. Firefighters rescued one of the men but could not find the other two in “gusting wind and snow, poor visibility and frigid temperatures.”

Rescuers returned Friday, Dec. 16, to continue the search but could not find the missing men, sheriff’s officials said.

“There was a substantial area of open water in this area,” the release said and rescuers believe they found the area where the ATV went into the water.

Keyhole Reservoir is located in northeast Wyoming near the border with Montana and South Dakota.

This story was originally published December 18, 2022 at 8:50 AM with the headline "Two missing after ATV falls through ice on rescue mission, Wyoming officials say."